About Us

Vision & Mandate

grunt gallery was founded in 1984 in Vancouver, BC with the vision to become an internationally renowned artist-run centre and further the practice of contemporary art. Through the exploration of our diverse Canadian cultural identity, we are able to offer public programming in the form of exhibitions, performances, artist talks, publications, and other special projects in the community. Our mandate is to inspire public dialogue by creating an environment conducive to the emergence of innovative, collaborative, and provocative contemporary art.

History

grunt first opened its doors in September of 1984. A group of eight artists had been meeting throughout that summer in a storefront space on East 6th Avenue in Vancouver to discuss the possibilities and practicalities of opening a gallery. Our direction, from the beginning, was based on the desire to support artists who often worked in isolation and to provide them with the resources to exhibit work that might otherwise go unrecognized.